Maratón Martín Fiz

The Race

History

Vitoria-Gasteiz created its marathon in 2003 and named it after Martín Fiz, the city’s own runner, who won the European marathon title in 1994 and the world title in Gothenburg in 1995. The first edition set the men’s best that still stands: Kamel Ziani won in 2:12:57, with the Kenyans Eliud Kering and James Moiben behind him. Winny Cheruyot won the women’s race in 2:41:09.

The Spanish championship came to Vitoria in 2005, and Teresa Pulido set the women’s best of 2:36:17 in 2007. Fiz ran it himself and finished second twice: in 2008, aged 45, in 2:28:07, and in 2014 in 2:25:51.

The elite field thinned over the next decade and the race became a city running festival with shorter distances alongside the marathon. There was no race in 2020. The 20th edition in 2023 took the route through more of the centre, past the Artium museum, Plaza de los Fueros and Plaza de la Virgen Blanca. The 2025 programme added a 5 km and passed 4,000 runners; in 2026 more than 5,000 took part across all distances, with about 500 children on top.

Ander Uribe won the 2026 marathon in 2:22:53, almost ten minutes clear of Javier Pérez, and Miriam Picañol won the women’s race in 2:56:48, with wind all the way round. 697 runners finished. For the 24th edition, on 16 May 2027, the marathon is capped at 1,500.

The course

The marathon starts at 08:30 on Paseo de Cervantes, beside Mendizorrotza stadium in the south-west of Vitoria-Gasteiz, and finishes in the same place. The half marathon, 10 km and 5 km start at the same moment. The organiser’s route is one large loop to the north and back, followed by smaller loops of the southern districts and the centre.

Vitoria sits on a plateau, and the whole course stays between 504 m and 536 m. The first half runs north up Avenida Gasteiz and Portal de Foronda and falls 24 m, almost imperceptibly, over the first 9.7 km to the River Zadorra. It follows the river east to Gamarra, the furthest point at km 7.1, then back west through Abetxuko, the low point at km 9.8, to Gobeo around km 11 to 12.

The one sustained rise is the return to the centre: 27 m between km 13.6 and km 18.0, about 0.6 per cent, through El Pilar and Zaramaga, past the El Boulevard shopping centre at km 15.7 and the Artium museum at km 17.6 to the edge of the old town. The course crosses Plaza de la Virgen Blanca at km 18.4, runs down Calle Dato at km 19.5 and through Lovaina to pass the start at km 21.3.

The second half never strays more than 2 km from the stadium. It loops through Mendizorrotza and the southern streets, back through the Ensanche and Calle Dato at km 27.5, north on Avenida Gasteiz to km 30, past the start again at km 31.6, then more southern loops to the high point, 536 m at km 34.6, a third pass of Calle Dato at km 37.9 and a last run up Avenida Gasteiz before the finish. None of the rises in this half is more than 8 m. The difficulties are the corners, of which there are many, and wind on the open northern roads.

Kilometre by kilometre

Km 0 to 5: north up Avenida Gasteiz. All four races start together at 08:30 on Paseo de Cervantes, and the rules describe no corrals, so expect mixed paces for the first kilometres. Let the 5 km and 10 km runners go. The road north on Avenida Gasteiz and Portal de Foronda falls very gently, 20 m in 5 km, which makes an early surge easy and costly.

Km 5 to 13: the Zadorra. The course reaches the river and follows it east to Gamarra, turning at km 7.1, then west through Abetxuko, the lowest point at km 9.8, and out to Gobeo before heading back. Wide roads, roundabouts and few spectators. This is the most exposed part of the course; in 2026 the wind blew all the way round. Run in a group.

Km 13 to 21: back to the centre. The only sustained rise of the day, 27 m over 4.4 km at about 0.6 per cent, carries the course south through El Pilar and Zaramaga, past El Boulevard at km 15.7 and Artium at km 17.6. Then the crowds: Plaza de la Virgen Blanca at km 18.4, Calle Dato at km 19.5, Parque de la Florida and Lovaina, and back past the start at km 21.3, where the half marathon finishes.

Km 21 to 42.2: loops of the south and centre. The second half is a sequence of shorter loops, all within 2 km of the stadium: the southern streets of Mendizorrotza, Calle Dato again at km 27.5, north on Avenida Gasteiz to km 30, past the start at km 31.6, the southern loops once more to the 536 m high point at km 34.6, then Dato a third time at km 37.9 and a final out-and-back on Avenida Gasteiz. Passing the finish twice with 10 km to go is hard. Break it into 5 km blocks between aid stations. Rain makes painted crossings and metal covers slippery on this many corners.

Kilometres are marked. Chip controls can be anywhere on the course, and missing one means disqualification. No painted racing line is advertised.

Course Map

North to the River Zadorra, back through the old centre and then short loops of the south, all from Paseo de Cervantes. Tap a marker for the start and finish, bib collection, the landmarks and the stations, and scrub the slider or press play to move the orange marker along the course with the elevation profile beneath it.

Pacers

Not confirmed for 2027. Pace groups ran in 2026, with at least 3:45 and 4:00 groups seen on course, but no 2027 pacing list has been published. There is a single start for every distance at 08:30 and no published corrals.

Entry

Entry opened on 17 July 2026 and closes on 3 May 2027, or when the 1,500 marathon places are gone. It is first come, first served, with no ballot, charity route or good-for-age scheme. Runners must be 18.

The marathon has three price tiers, €50, €55 and €65; the dates on which the price rises are not shown on the registration page, so enter early. Group discounts are 5% for 5 to 9 runners, 7% for 10 to 14 and 10% for 15 or more. Entry includes the bib with chip, a shirt, a marathon gift, aid on course and at the finish, accident insurance, a medal and a digital diploma.

Half the fee is refunded until 1 April; nothing from 2 April. Name and distance changes close after 22 April. If the race is cancelled for reasons beyond the organiser’s control there is no refund, although runners who have collected their bib are promised favourable terms for the next edition. Handcycles are not allowed. Wheelchair athletes may take part, alone or accompanied.

Fast runner standards

There is no good-for-age or fast-runner entry route. Prize money is halved for winners slower than 2:22:15 (men) and 2:40:15 (women), but these thresholds do not affect entry.

Race Weekend

Bib collection

Bibs are collected on the second floor of the El Boulevard shopping centre, Calle Zaramaga 1, next to the Ginos restaurant, in the north of the city. It is open on the Friday and Saturday before the race, 10:30 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 20:00. Another page on the organiser’s site gives 10:00 as the opening time; the regulation says 10:30, so plan on the later time.

There is no collection on race day in the provisional rules. Bring official photo ID. Shirts and gifts are handed out in order of collection and sizes are not guaranteed, so go early.

This is a collection point in a shopping centre, not a full expo. El Boulevard is 3.3 km from Mendizorrotza in a straight line, 35 to 50 minutes on foot, or a bus or tram ride. The course passes it at km 15.7.

Getting to the start

The marathon, half marathon, 10 km and 5 km all start at 08:30 on Paseo de Cervantes by Mendizorrotza stadium.

Getting there. Walk if you can. From Lovaina and Parque de la Florida the start is 20 to 25 minutes on foot; from Calle Dato and the Ensanche, 25 to 30 minutes; from Uleta and Mendizorrotza, 10 to 20. The tram and several TUVISA bus lines are changed or suspended on race morning (in 2025 the tram was partly stopped from 08:15 to 11:30), so do not rely on them. Drivers should avoid the start area; Paseo de Cervantes, Portal de Castilla and Avenida Gasteiz have all been closed in recent editions.

Bag drop and changing. The Mendizorrotza pavilion beside the start and finish has changing rooms and showers, and bag drop is nearby. Corrals, toilet numbers and bag rules are not in the provisional regulation; check the final runner guide.

Rules. Only registered runners may use course and finish services. The bib stays visible on the chest, unfolded. No bicycles, pets or vehicles may accompany runners.

The finish. Medal, finish refreshments and a digital diploma. The showers are a few steps away.

Nutrition on course

Aid stations start at 5 km and repeat every 5 km, but the 2027 regulation does not say what is on them. A 2023 race graphic listed water, Aquarius sports drink, cola, banana, orange, sweets and gels, but menus change, and a 2026 finisher described the stations as disorganised.

Carry all the gels you need and treat anything on the tables as a bonus. With a single start for four distances, the first stations can be crowded; the shorter races have peeled off by the later ones.

Spectating

The course passes Mendizorrotza at km 21.3 and km 31.6 as well as the start and finish, and runs through the compact centre three times, so walking is the best way to watch. Trams and buses are disrupted on race morning.

Calle Dato is the easiest single spot: runners pass at km 19.5, km 27.5 and km 37.9, and it is a 25-minute walk from the finish. For a runner on four-hour pace, that is roughly 10:20, 11:05 and 12:05.

Post-race food

Vitoria’s post-race meal is a pintxos crawl, not a single booking. The streets around Calle Dato, Plaza de la Virgen Blanca and the medieval quarter are full of bars with counters of small plates, 1.5 to 2 km from the finish through Parque de la Florida.

Sagartoki on Calle del Prado is known for its fried-egg pintxo and prize-winning tortilla. PerretxiCo, on Calle San Antonio, does modern pintxos built around mushrooms. For a sit-down Basque lunch, El Portalón, in a fifteenth-century inn at the edge of the old town, is the classic choice. Book Sunday lunch; with 5,000 runners and their families in town, the centre fills early.

Where to Stay

The finish is on Paseo de Cervantes by Mendizorrotza stadium, and the start is in the same place, so stay as close to it as the evening you want allows. The best balance is Lovaina and Parque de la Florida, 1 to 1.5 km away and next to the centre.

The marathon caps at 1,500 but more than 5,000 runners come for the whole event, which fills central Vitoria. Book a refundable room when you enter.

Recommended hotels

Booking timeline

Entry opens in mid-July and the cheapest tier comes first, so enter early and book a refundable room in Lovaina or near Mendizorrotza at the same time. Half the entry fee is refundable until 1 April; name and distance changes close after 22 April; entries close on 3 May.

Bilbao Airport (BIO) is the usual way in. Book flights early and check the Bilbao to Vitoria coach, about an hour, against arrival times. Vitoria-Gasteiz also has direct trains from Madrid. Arrive by Saturday afternoon: bib collection closes at 20:00 on Saturday and there is none on race morning.

See & Do

The finish is in the south-west of the city, and the sights are a flat walk north-east through Parque de la Florida into the centre.

After the Race

May in Álava is green, with the vines of Rioja Alavesa in new leaf and the Basque coast an hour away. The salt valley at Añana and the walled wine town of Laguardia are half-day trips; Bilbao and San Sebastián are straight coach rides for a night or two on legs that need a slow day.